Story 249 - How the Nagaya became the Princess

IN a certain country there was a royal Prince, it is said. This Prince one day having gone for garden sport, and while on his return journey having seen a beautiful woman belonging to a nobleman’s family, his mind was attracted towards her, it is said. When the Prince with his mind thus greatly attracted towards the woman is feeling keen sorrow, not obtaining sleep, dwelling foodless, for several days in succession not having eaten, his body grew extremely emaciated.

At the time when his father the King inquired what were the reasons of it, he informed him that he wanted to take in marriage a nobleman’s daughter, it is said. The King having heard his word, asked the assemblage of Ministers whether the transaction was suitable or unsuitable. And the assemblage of Ministers having said that should he take [a wife] in marriage in that manner a disgrace will go to the royal race, he rejected it. But having seen that because of the young Prince’s grief from day to day his body becomes [more] emaciated, his father the King took and gave him a [bride in] marriage from another royal family. Yet except that he contracted this marriage because of the urgent request of his father the King, for himself, indeed, he did not desire even to look in the direction of the Princess whom he married.

At the time when he is thus, having concealed from the King that he does not pay regard to his married wife, since thereafter the Prince attempted the obtaining of the nobleman’s daughter for himself [the King] ordered the Prince to go out of the country.

The Prince, upon the word of his father the King having mounted on a ship and become ready to go to the foreign country, put the Princess whom he took in marriage into a rock house (cave), and having placed guards around, and made them give her food once in four days, said thus to the Princess, " When, having gone to a foreign country, I come again to this country, having borne a Prince like me do thou keep and rear him virtuously. Should it not be so I will speedily cause thee to be killed and cut into bits,” he said. The Prince said thus with the intention of indeed killing the Princess. Why was that ? Because from the day when he contracted the marriage there had not been a [conjugal] association of these two.

Well then, she ascertained that she cannot perform even one of the orders that were told to the Princess. Well, this Princess’s father had presented and given to her two tunnelling rats.^[1] By the help of these rats haying made a tunnel [by which] to go outside from the rock house, she came out by the tunnel, and making even the guards her friends, went near a woman who knows extremely clever dances; and having given money, [after] learning up to the other shore itself^[2] her art of dancing, she went to the neighbourhood [of the place] from which on the first occasion the Prince was to mount into the ship, putting on a dress that was attracting the wonder of each of the persons who saw it, in such a manner that anyone should be unable to recognise her. Having shown dances in front of the Prince, and caused his mind to long for her, and that day night having slept with him, on the following day she went to the house of the King her father.

The Prince having gone to foreign countries, the Princess was living in happiness at the house of her father until learning news of his coming again to his own country. Having heard news that the Prince descended from the ship, and having gone to the rock house together with the guards of whom at first she was making friends, she remained [there] in the manner which the Prince ordered on going.

Because the Prince came after a number of years had passed away, she had a fine infant Prince.

Well then, the Prince, having descended from the ship and having come with the intention [after] having killed his wife to take in marriage the nobleman’s Princess, opened the door of the rock house, and at the time when he looked saw that the Princess is [there] with an infant Prince in the very manner he said. While he was in extreme anger, the Princess, while in the midst between the Royal Council and her husband, related the method by which she obtained her child.

After that, when in a very public manner the Prince completely abandoned his wife her parents did not take charge of her. Because of it, having gone near an indigent woman she dwelt with her child. Because the Prince had extreme affection for the child he thought to take the child [after] having given poison to the Princess and killed her.

At this time, because the Situ Princess whom the Prince was intending to take in marriage had been taken and given and settled for another person, he contracted marriage with another Princess. On the day of the festival at which he contracts^[3] this marriage, on his sending to his indigent former wife a sort of cakes in which poison was mixed, when she was partaking of them she performed the act of Yama.^[4]

After she died, a Naga maiden began to give milk to the infant. The Prince having gone on horseback to bring the infant, at the time when he brought it to the royal house the Naga maiden also went behind [in her snake form]. The Prince having seen the Naga maiden while the head part of the Nagaya was inside the doorway and the tail part outside the doorway, when he cut it in two with his sword the Nagaya vanished, and the Princess who was the mother of the infant remained in front [of him],^[5] The Prince ascertaining [thereby] that he was unable to kill her, established her in the post of Chief Queen.

Western Province.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Uman̥-miyo. Compare p. 81, vol. ii,

[2]:

Para-teratama, completely, from top to bottom.

[3]:

Lit., ties.

[4]:

The God of Death.

[5]:

Compare the similar incident in vol. i, p. 133.